Can washing machine



L. ET v CAN WASHING MACHINE Filed July 25. 1930 4 sheets-shew 2 2,150 v f wif?) 'April 18 1933- v H. L. soLlE ET AL CAN WASHING MACHINE vFiled July '2s 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 fousaw@ N I/es Hed and mf 38g H L s@ EE TAL CAN WASHING MACHINE Filed July 26, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet ,4

l a a lllllw.

Auml lt w ,l MMM L@ @Maig into the washin chamber.

. communicating with the reservoir 15 and a.-

Patented Apr.' 1s. y19:153-

. UNITED STATES PAraNrol-Flca mman I.. som .um Nans a. mam, or ms', a

Y om mismo noma Y -Application filed .TillyA `28, 1930. Serial l0. 470,781. i

It is our object to provide an eicient, automatic -can washer of novel and relatively simple and inexpensive construction primarily for the use of dairies or inthe smaller creameries. As far as we are aware, the can washing machines in common use are relatively complicated, expensive devices which occupy much floor space and employ conveyor mechanism for assing the cans from one cleansing operation to another. Dairies and the smaller creameries can seldom afford the expense of such large'machines and we have designed the present device to meet the needs oi .the smaller users.

The invention will lbe best understood by reference to the'accompanying drawin s in which Fi re l vis a rear elevation o the device; Flg. 2 is an end view of the same with a portion of the washing chamber wall broken away to show the interior; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section takenon the line 3--3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectlon taken on the line section through one of the clutches; Fig. 7 is a transverse section through the clutch taken on the line 7--7 of Fig. 6 and Fig. 8 illustrates the separate cams in approximately the relative angular positions on the cam shaft. Our can washer has a washing chamber 10 adapted to receive twol cans 11 to be Washed and having vertically -sliding doorsv 12 through which the cans may be introduced Stationary rails 13 are provid to support the cans in inverted position. The bottom 14 of the chamber slopes toward a reservoir 15 for washing duid to permit repeated use of said fluid. A power-driven pump 16 has a suction pipe 17 delivery pipe 18 with branches 19 for supplying the washing liuid to delivery spouts 20 beneath the rails 13 and to vertical pipes 21 for supplying sprayer pipes 22. These sprayer pipes` 22 have outlet openings for directing-small streams a ainst the exterior ofthe' cans, the openin s eing arran ed to tially the entire periphery of the cans.

5-5 of ig. 4; Fig. 6 is a central, longitudinal give the desired distri utionover su stan- A valve 23 is duplicated for each can and has an upstanding stem 24`(Figs." 1 and 3) adapted to be actuated for controlling the supply of washing iluid through one of the branches 19. Suitable supports 25 are secured to the valve casings., Rinsing water under pressure is supplied through pipes 26 controlled by valves 27. These pipes 26 connect with riser pipes 28 and the riser pipes connect .with the delivery nozzles 20 and sprayers 22. Steam for sterilizing the cans is supplied through pipes 29 under control of valves 30. The pipes 29 communicate with the stand pipes 28 through portions of the pipe 26, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. yThe valves 30 and 27, likethe valve 23, are secured to the support 25 and are of the type having anint'ernal spring to normally raise the valve stems and retain the valve in closed position. To open the valves the stems are depressed. The stems 31 and 32 of the valves30 and 27 respectively project above said support. to the valve'stems and are pivoted on rods 34 having bearings on the support 25. The rocker arms have rollers 35 on their inner ends to be engaged by cams on the shafts 36. Bearings 37 integral with the support 25 are provided for each shaft 36. y

As shown in Fig. 8, cams 38, 39 and 40 are provided to actuate the valves 23, 27 and 30 respectively, a set of these cams being vfixed on each shaft 36. A fourth cam 41 (Figs. 2 and 8) is secured to each shaft 36 to actuate a rocker arm 42 having an u wardly extending arm 43. `A link 44 connects the arm 43 with a crank 45 on the lower end of a pivot shaft 46 extendin up throu h the bottom 14 of the washing c amber. n its upper end the shaft 46 carries a closure 47 for the delivery end of an air pipe 48.

Rocker arms 33 are connected l There are two of these air pipes arranged to deliver a supply of drying air to the interior of the cans on the supports 13. AAt their lower ends the i s 48 communicate with a transverse con uit 49 and a blower 50 has anair delivery pipe 51 having anl outlet opening 52` into the conduit 49.

The shafts, 36 are tubular and, extendin axially through them is a power-driven sha 53. Clutches 54, best shown in Figs. 6 and 7, are provided to severally connect the shafts 36 with the shaft 53 and the latter shaft is connected, through suitable speed reducing gears in a housing 55, to a parallel shaft 56. Another shaft 57 extends parallel to the shaft 56 and is connected thereto by suitable ulleys and a belt 58. To drive the shaft an electric motor 59 is provided and this motor also directly drives the pump 16-or wash water and the blower to supply drying air.

Each of the clutches 54 has a cylindrical element 60 which is fixed on the shaft 53 and an annular ange 61 projects longitudinally from said element and is formed with interi nal teeth 62. Another clutch element 63 is xed on each of the tubular shafts 36 and has an annular hub projecting between the shaft 36 and dange 61. This element 63 carries a pivoted dog 6d and an arm 65 for actuatin said dog from its dotted line to its 'full line position shown in Fig. 7. A lug 66 projects from the eriphery otfthe element 63 to adord an a utment 'for the arm 65 and said lug and arm are formed with recesses to receive a coiled spring 67 The spring 67 is arranged to normally separate the arm 65 from the lug 66 and thereby extend the dog 64 into engagement with the teeth 62 on the element 60.

We provide mechanism for starting a cycle of operation upon closin of one of the doors l2 and for preventing t e operation of the washing mechanism when said doors are open. lhis mechanism is connected to both of the clutches 54, adjacent to each ci which is mounted a small arm 68 adapt/ed to be moved into the path ol the arm 65 on the clutch. The clutch arm 65 rotates in the direction indicated by an arrow in Fig. 7. Sap porting brackets 69 Jfor the arms 66 project upward from the supports 25 and rods 76 have their lower ends engaging the arms 68 in suitable elongated slots lig. l). Els shown in Fig. 2 the rods 76 extend up the bach ol the cabinet and are guided r-or vertical movement in brackets 7l. il. coiled spring 72 is confined' on each rod 76 adjacent to one oil' the brachetsf'l and is arranged to urge said red downward and thereby normally retain the arm 66 inthe path oi' the clutch arm 65. The doors i2 are normally raised to open position by counterweights 7 3 which are severally connected by suitable cables 7d to the doors, said cables passing over guide wheels onthe to ci the cabinet. Each cable and counter-weig t is so arranged that when a door is closed a lug 75 at the top of the weight engages an end 86 on the rod 7 0 to raise the arm 66 out of the path of the arm 65. l, 1

Each door 12 has a latch for retaining it in closed position com rising a pivoted dog 77 (Figs. 4 and') a apted to engage a small lengage the clip 78. 'Projecting from the front,

o the cabinet beneath each' door is a manually operablelatch member 84 connected to the dog 77 and adapted to be thrust inward to release the door. Suitable handles 85 are provided or manual operation of the doors. Within each washing chamber 10 guide members 86 are secured tothe rails 13 to insure proper placing of the cans 11 over the spout 20 and pipe 48. These guide members 86 also aord supports for the covers of the cans to be washed. '.lhe covers are placed in inclined position against the upright sprayer pipes 21 which are perforated to deliver streams of the washing duid against the covers.

peraon ln use the motor 59 continuously drives the shaft 53, pump 16 and blower 50and the several valves 23, 27 and 30 and closure 47, at the beginning of a cycle of operation, are in closed position. The doors 12 are normally retained in open position by the counter-weights 73. 'lhe cans to be cleansed are placed in inverted position on the rails 13 between the guides 36 and then the doors 12 are closed so that the latch dogs 77 engage the clips 7 8 and retain the doors in closed position. .Movement of the doors l2 to closed position raises the lugs 75 into engagement with the rods 76 and raises said rods, to gether with the arms 68, out oil the path of the clutch arms 65. The springs 67 are thus released, the arms 65 are moved away from the lugs 66 and the dogs 64 are turned to engage teeth 62. This operatively connects the clutch elements 60 and 63 so that the shafts 36 turn slowly together with the cams 38, 39, l0 and fil. A complete cycle of operation taires place during each complete revolution oi the shalt 36. Baring this cycle the can or cans in the washing chambers are successively washed with suitable washing duid, rinsed with hot water, sterilized by steam and dried. rlllie cam 38 hrst comes into operation and raises an end of the rocher arm for actuating the valve 23. The stem oil this valve is thus depressed andthe valve is opened to admit a supply of washing duid to the stand pipe 28.

A spray of the duid is delivered from the nozzle 20 and from the sprayer pipes 22 to thereby cleanse the interior and exterior of the cans. During this step of the operation @the Washing duid is Withdrawn from the reservoir 15 by the pump 16 and after the fluid has been applied to the cans it flows back into said reservoir. A suitablesolvent for the substances removed from the cans is placed in the uuid. After a suitable period of time 4*the cam 38 allows thevalve 23 to close, and

thereby cut off the supply'of washing uid, and this is immediately followed by the opening of the valves 27 and 30 under the action of the cams 39 and 40. Hot rinse water is now delivered from each spout 2Q and from the sprayer pipes 22 `for a short period remove the washing luid. Upon further rotation of theshafts 36fthe cams Y39 permit closing of the valves 27 and the cams 40 remain in operative positions to supply live steam to the delivery opening within the washing chambers. This steam sterilizes the washed and rinsed cans 11 and then the cam 40 allows the valve 30 to close.

During a further part of the cycle, the cams 41 actuate the arms 42 and 43 for removing the closures 47 from the pipes 48 so that drafts of drying air aredelivered to the interior of.

the cans. 'Each cam 41 has a projection 41a and these .projections finally move into engagement with the rollers on the arms 42 to turn the vertical shafts 46 through a further angle. Thus movement of the projections 82 on the closures '47 actuates the downwardly bent ends 81 on the rods 80 to withdraw the teeth 77 from engagement with the doors. The doors now move to open position under the action of the counterweights 73 and the rod 70 is moved down by the spring 72 to advance the arms 68 into the path of the arms 65. on the clutches. Rotation of the clutch elements 63 continues while the projections 41a move out of operative relation to the arms 42 and until-the clutch arms 65 are stopped. When the arms 65 strike the arms 68 the dogs 64 are turned to their dotted line position shown in Fig. 7, to thereby mit the shaft 53 to continue to rotate w ile the shafts 36 are held stationary. The, cycle of operation is now completed andv the cleansed cans 11 may be'removed from the open doors.

Having described our invention what we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A can washer comprising, a chamber adapted to enclose a can to be washed, a stationary support for a can within said chambei', pipes aving outlet openings therein for supplying washing Huid, steam and air to a can on said support, valves for controlling said pipes, a low speed, power-'driven shaft, a cam shaft, a clutch for operatively connectng said shafts, cams on said cam shaft rfor actuating said valves, manually actuated means for rendering said clutch o rative #lying a. sup 1y of washing fluid t0 a can in each of said chambers a common tank for supwashing iuid to said ipes, an air conduit for dry air communicating with each of said chambers and having upwardly directed outlets for supplying air to the interior of cans on said su ports valves for controlling the supplies o said duid and air to said (pipes and condui, a motor, a pump actuate by said motor to forcibly deliver fluid from said tank .to both oi said chambers, a fan actuated by said motor to supply air to both o said conduits and means actuated by said motor to successively actuate said valves.

3. A can washing machine comprising a plurality of chambers each adapted to enclose a can to be washed, means for directing washing uid, steam and ,air against the cans in said chambers, valves for severally controlling the supplies of said luid, steam `and air to each of said chambers, means, iiicludin a shaft, for actuating said valves for each clgiamber, a common power-driven shaft and clutches for severally connecting said power-driven shaft to said iirst mentioned shafts.

4. A can washer comprising, a chamber having a door openip, a stationary support for a can in invert position within 'said chamber, pipes havin outlet openings therein for supplying was ing huid and steam to the interior of acan on said support, valves for said pipes, a motor for actuating said valves, a closure for said' door opening, .a clutch to operatively connect said motor to said valves and means connecting said clutch to said closure for rendering the valves operative. v

5. A can washer comprising, a chamber having a door-opening, a stationary support for a can in Vinverted position within said chamber, pi 'es having outlet openings therein for supp ying washing huid, steam and air to the interior of a can on said support, one of said pipes being relatively large and having an upwardly directed opening to supply air to the interior of a can on said support, valves for severally controlling said pipes, power actuated means for successive ly 4actuating said valves in a predetermined cycle, a closure for said door opening and meansfor opening said closure upon completion of a cycle of operation.

4 In testimony whereof, we have hereunto signed our naines to this specication.

o HARLD L. SLIE. NELS J., HEDLND.

isc' 

